Speaking about his new release "Unknown," Liam Neeson, who has come to the role of action hero late in life, ha...

Speaking about his new release "Unknown," Liam Neeson, who has come to the role of action hero late in life, has made a point of commenting on how the luck of the Irish has benefited British actors.

The star said that Irishmen like himself had paved the way for actors such as Christian Bale, Andrew Garfield and Orlando Bloom who now play blockbuster heroes.

The Ballymena, Co. Antrim native said, “Gabriel Byrne, Gary Oldman and myself paved the way for these actors. Back in the nineties we were pioneers. Before then British actors only played villains in these big movies, now they play the heroes. We paved the way."

Following “Unknown,” which topped the U.S box office last weekend also stars Diane Kruger of "Inglorious Basterds" fame and Aidan Quinn, Neeson will star as the Tattoo Man in "The Hangover Part II" alongside Bradley Cooper.